What does kopek mean?
A kopek is a former Russian monetary unit, equal to one hundredth of a ruble. It was once the smallest denomination in everyday Russian currency and appears frequently in accounts of life under the Russian Empire and in the early Soviet period. In modern English, the word is mostly historical or literary rather than practical, since the kopek is no longer a circulating unit. References to prices, wages, and small sums of money in kopecks often convey a sense of modest amounts, old-fashioned prices, or hardship. Although “kopek” is the usual spelling, “kopeck” is also common. The word is especially associated with Russian cultural and literary settings, where it can lend authenticity and period atmosphere to descriptions of ordinary life.
nounA former monetary unit of Russia, equal to one hundredth of a ruble. The kopek was discontinued as a circulating unit but remains common in historical and literary references.
- A former Russian monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a ruble.
"The old newspaper listed the price as a few kopecks, a sum that now belongs entirely to the past."
"At the time, a dozen eggs cost only a few kopecks."
"The novel gives a vivid picture of everyday life in imperial Russia, where wages were counted in kopecks."
The standard plural is “kopecks.”
"He saved a handful of kopecks before leaving the village."
Once Russia’s smallest circulating coin unit, a kopek survives mainly in stories about prices that now sound impossibly small.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kopek come from?
The English word comes from Russian копейка (kopeika), which developed from копьё (kop’yo), meaning “spear.” The name is traditionally connected with the image of a spear on early Russian coins. English adopted the Russian monetary name in the nineteenth century, and “kopeck” became an established alternative spelling.
Related word forms
How kopek is actually used
The word is chiefly historical or literary in modern English. It may also be spelled “kopeck,” and in British usage the final syllable is sometimes pronounced as a short /ɪ/ rather than /ɛ/.
Easily confused with kopek
A kopeck is an alternative English spelling of kopek; both names refer to the same former Russian monetary unit.